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Tesla’s biggest rival in China: an in-depth look at the $4,200 Wuling HongGuang Mini EV
Tesla’s biggest rival in China is the Wuling HongGuang Mini EV that starts at around $4,200. Information regarding this small but impressive electric car that is a part of an SAIC, General Motors, and Wuling joint venture is vague and usually hard to come by. However, a recent video revealed several new details about the one car that has managed to outsell Tesla for the past five months.
The HongGuang Mini EV: A Quick Introduction
First delivered in July 2020, the Wuling HongGuan Mini EV is manufactured in Lizhou, Guangxi, China, and is available in two variants: one equips a 9.2 kWh battery and the other a 13.8 kWh battery. Capable of a 62 MPH top speed and only around 75 and 110 miles of range per charge, the vehicle’s base model is available for a respectable $4,200. However, a top price of around $5,600 will give you a fully-loaded version of the car complete with air conditioning and power windows, two features that are available in most cars as a standard option. This car, however, is far from standard and is an economical EV made for short trips, tight finances, and efficiency. It’s no Tesla, but it did secure over 119,250 total sales in 2020 alone, making it the second best-selling EV in the Chinese market, trailing the Tesla Model 3.
2021 has proven to be a different story, at least so far. The HongGuang Mini EV has commanded the Chinese electric vehicle sector in 2021, selling just shy of 57,000 units through February and holding a commanding lead over the second-place Model 3, which has accumulated 27,531 total sales so far this year. The affordability of the HongGuang Mini EV is proving to be a disruptor. Although it doesn’t pack the punch or performance of the Model 3, people continue to purchase the car because of its impressive price tag.
Production of the HongGuang Mini EV
As previously mentioned, the Mini EV is produced in Lizhou, Guangxi, at a small but extremely efficient facility. A new car rolls off the line every minute, and the vehicle only takes 4 hours to produce from start to finish, according to YouTuber Gwelio 60, who recently toured the factory to have an inside look at the car.
An assembly line worker at the Wuling plant. He is putting the finishing touches on the HongGuang Mini EV here. (Credit: YouTube | Gweilo 60)
There are not many parts to the car, and it is a relatively simple machine. The battery and some other basic parts that make up a car are really the only things that go under the body and chassis itself. Anything that could be considered a “luxury” is not included in the vehicle’s most basic models. It is really a car to get from point A to point B with as few issues or bells and whistles as possible.
(Credit: YouTube | Gweilo 60)
The vehicle itself is an employee at the plant. In fact, several of them are. Wuling has several HongGuang Mini EVs that haul materials, parts, and other things across the campus of the production facility completely autonomously. The cars operate under their own guidance and can sense when to stop and when to accelerate back onto their path. Gweilo 60 showed an example of how safe they are in the video by crossing the street while a HongGuang Mini EV approached. The car successfully stopped, waited for Gweilo to cross the street, and began navigating once again.
The Interior: Simple, small, and smooth
The bells and whistles are not present in this vehicle. A small dash screen and a simple radio, along with HVAC ventilation, make up the entirety of the dashboard. It is comfortable, small, sleek, and smooth, and it is just enough to keep someone comfortable during their short drive. It isn’t much, but with the low range, it’s not like someone needs excessive entertainment or features. You get what you pay for.
(Credit: YouTube | Gweilo 60)
The ride is smooth, zippy, and comfortable, according to the short review from Gweilo. It won’t go over 62 MPH, but it’s another gas car off the road, something that is always a positive. It has good suspension, it handles well, and it is a comfortable ride for any occupants, he says.
The Bottom Line: Is the Wuling HongGuang Mini EV a real “threat” to Tesla?
No, it probably isn’t a threat to Tesla because Tesla’s cars and the Wuling HongGuang Mini EV simply are not in the same realm. Comparing the car to the Model 3 is like comparing the Model 3 to the Rivian R1T: prices, purpose, and functionality are all different, and they are two cars that shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence. Many Tesla enthusiasts have called the Mini EV a “golf cart” because of its size and price point, and really that isn’t far off. However, the Mini EV is undoubtedly a popular vehicle, and the sales figures show that. Is it a legitimate threat to Tesla? Probably not. At least, it doesn’t seem that way. They’re just not comparable.
Tesla to sell zero cars in China by 2030, Morgan Stanley’s Jonas says
That isn’t to say that what Wuling has accomplished with this small but mighty EV isn’t impressive. The sales figures alone are incredible, and it is certainly a great indication that China is ready to buy EVs. However, it would be interesting to see if the Wuling-GM-SAIC partnership would be willing or would plan for a more competitive, luxurious, and expensive EV that would drive competition to the max in the Chinese market. China is becoming a hotbed for EVs, and the Wuling HongGuang Mini EV is driving EV sales through the roof.
Watch Gweilo 60’s full video regarding the Wuling HongGuang Mini EV below.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) reported its earnings for the first quarter of 2026 on Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what the company reported compared to what Wall Street analysts expected.
The earnings results come after Tesla reported a massive beat on vehicle deliveries for the second quarter, delivering 489,126 vehicles and building 451,758 cars during the three-month span.
This was a major shock for those on Wall Street as they anticipated somewhere around 400,000 deliveries for the quarter, and showed Tesla still has plenty of demand for its vehicles around the world and in the U.S. despite losing the $7,500 EV Tax Credit last year.
Tesla Q2 2026 Earnings Results
- Non-GAAP EPS – $0.33 reported vs. $0.53 expected
- Revenues – $28.236 billion reported vs. $26.4 billion expected
- Free Cash Flow- -$1.092B
- Profit -$ 4.751B
Tesla (beat/missed) analyst expectations, so the market response to the company’s quarter is what we will look for next.
Tesla shares closed today down just over 1 percent, trading at $374.01.
In the past, it has been anyone’s guess with what Tesla shares will do after they report earnings. Strong quarters have resulted in sharp drops, while lackluster quarters have seen the stock shoot up considerably.
Tesla will hold its Q2 2026 Earnings Call in about 90 minutes at 5:30 p.m. on the East Coast. Remarks will be made by CEO Elon Musk and other executives, who will shed some light on the investor questions that we covered earlier this week.
You can stream it below. Additionally, we will be doing our Live Blog on X and Facebook.
Q2 2026 Earnings Call https://t.co/zZS6ii2TWK
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 22, 2026
Tesla is about to make parking in busy parking lots at businesses and other points of interest less stressful than ever by allowing drivers more control over where they park and how, CEO Elon Musk confirmed on X.
Tesla has been working to improve the parking performance of vehicles utilizing the Full Self-Driving suite, but now it is looking to add more customization, allowing drivers to choose the specific space they park in, but also potentially the orientation the car pulls into the spot:
It’s coming soon
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 21, 2026
Musk has reiterated on X twice over the past several weeks that Tesla is working to make things with the FSD suite based more on the driver’s specific preferences and behaviors that were seen in past drives.
Essentially, it sounds like if you tend to park away from a business to avoid other vehicles, Tesla FSD will soon recognize that preference of yours and start parking further away as well. Additionally, the prospect of assigned parking spaces has been something many owners have voiced concerns about.
Living in a community with assigned parking spaces makes using FSD incredibly difficult as it will rarely park in the correct spot when there are so many to choose from. This is also pertinent in work settings where there are sometimes assigned parking spaces.
The updates to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite in terms of listening to driver preferences with parking are also extending to routing. Tesla announced yesterday that with the release of its 2026 Summer Update, it was adding Automatic Navigation and Preferred Routes:
Tesla reveals 2026 Summer Update with crazy fixes to Nav and more
Tesla has always maintained the idea that any human input is bad input, and that, ideally, Tesla Full Self-Driving will always make the right decision. Of course, this is all in theory, but the issue is that so many of Tesla’s interventions have come because it does something that is not necessarily wrong, but perhaps not what the driver would prefer.
Taking these preferences into account will help Tesla alleviate some of the potentially unnecessary interventions that drivers perform.
Tesla is starting to prepare for the launch of the Optimus robot in its smartphone app, new coding strings show. Elon Musk has referred to Optimus as what will be the greatest-selling product of any kind of all time, and now, Tesla is getting ready for its launch.
Tesla’s smartphone app had several first-time mentions of the Optimus program, according to Tesla App Updates, who intially reported on the appearance. Here’s what they found:
A Dedicated “Robot” Phone Key Authentication
Tesla is working on a Bluetooth Low Energy, or BLE, authentication that is specifically for robots. This does not only apply to Optimus, though, as Robotaxi, which is Tesla’s autonomous ride-hailing platform, might also identify vehicles within the fleet as robots as well.
Tesla shows rapid teardown of Model S and X lines, paving the way for Optimus at Fremont
Essentially, pairing your phone as a key to anything Tesla identifies as a robot to a “whitelist” of authorized devices. Optimus, Robotaxi, or other products that fall into this category will only respond if the device trying to communicate with it is authorized.
This is a great security feature that will eliminate at least face-value and low-level threats.
Home Data Collection and System Alerts
This appears to be somewhat of a neural network for Optimus within your house. There will be a dedicated screen that asks for consent to collect both video and spatial data while Optimus performs in-home tasks. Everything from vacuuming, washing dishes, dusting, and other activities will be tracked.
There will also be a comprehensive alert system that will track everything from low battery to mechanical issues.
Other Changes
Most of the changes tracked in this particular app update are related to Tesla’s 2026 Summer Update, and include things such as image assets for new features, a preview of the new custom wraps feature, and other unique features.
You can check out our coverage on what is included with the 2026 Summer Update here:
Tesla reveals 2026 Summer Update with crazy fixes to Nav and more
Tesla (TSLA) Q2 2026 earnings results: miss on EPS, beat on revenue
Tesla is about to make parking in busy lots less stressful than ever
